Biggest Production to Date Heads Down Under as Sydney Festival Countdown Begins.

With just a month to opening night preparations are well underway for Sasha Waltz’s iconic production of Dido and Aeneas, the centerpiece of January’s Sydney Festival. The much applauded,

spectacular rendering of the oldest love story in English opera famously commences with a prologue that is danced underwater in a giant fish tank to be mounted on the stage of Sydney’s Lyric Theatre (the only stage strong enough to support the show).

The set travels in four 40-foot shipping containers and will arrive on December 29. Once installed at The Star, the 9 metre long aquarium will be filled with a staggering 7,500 litres of (mercifully heated) water. To accommodate the tricky set changes, pumps are used to empty the water quickly from the aquarium after the dancers have finished performing in it. The tank is then split in two and moved into the wings.

The German director and dancer’s choreographed version of Purcell’s baroque masterpiece is due to be accompanied by one of the world’s leading baroque ensembles, the Academy of Ancient Music Berlin.

The cast list is headed by mezzo soprano Aurore Ugolin as Queen Dido and British baritone Reuben Willcox as her vacillating lover Aeneas. The cast also includes experienced singers of the likes of British soprano Deborah York as Dido’s confidant Belinda and tenor Fabrice Mantegna in the travesty role of the sorceress.

With flying dancers and a special role for the choreographer’s eight-year-old daughter, this is one of the biggest productions ever to come to an Australian festival and is similar in size to Théâtre du Soleil’s Flood Drummers, which was presented at Sydney Festival 2002.

Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts, George Souris is leading the cheers for Waltz’s latest Australian outing and was keen to stress a possible special resonance for Sydneysiders. “Dido & Aeneas by Sasha Waltz will provide the kind of unique and cutting edge cultural experience for which Sydney Festival is renowned,” he said.

“The aquatic theme, retelling the ancient and tragic tale of unrequited love involving Dido the Queen of Carthage and the Trojan hero Aeneas, is sure to resonate with Sydney audiences given our own love of the water.”

Dido and Aeneas plays The Lyric Theatre at the Star from January 16-21.